Paper — Minecraft block

Paper

Paper comes from sugar cane and feeds maps, books, rockets, cartography, and trades.

Block ID minecraft:paper
Mod Vanilla
Game versions
1.21

Description

Paper is crafted from three sugar cane in a horizontal row, producing three sheets. That simple recipe makes reed farms one of the most important early infrastructure projects. The item appears in maps, books, firework rockets, cartography table workflows, banner patterns, and villager trading, so demand grows instead of disappearing.

Its value changes with game stage. Early on, it unlocks exploration maps and bookshelves. Later, it becomes the backbone of elytra rocket production and librarian emerald loops. Because sugar cane grows beside water and can be harvested automatically with pistons or observers, large supplies are easy to build once the first farm is running.

Java & Bedrock Guide

How to craft and use Paper in Minecraft

  1. 1

    Grow sugar cane

    Plant sugar cane on sand, dirt, or grass blocks directly next to water; each plant grows up to three blocks tall.

  2. 2

    Harvest the cane

    Break the top two blocks and leave the bottom one to regrow, or build a piston-and-observer farm for automatic harvesting.

  3. 3

    Craft the paper

    Open a crafting table and place three sugar cane in any single horizontal row to produce three paper.

  4. 4

    Use the paper

    Combine three paper with one leather for a book, add gunpowder for firework rockets, or eight paper with a compass for a map.

Edition difference

In Bedrock Edition you can craft an empty map from nine paper alone, while Java Edition requires eight paper plus a compass.

How to craft this block

Ingredients: Sugar Cane Sugar Cane x3
Crafting
Sugar Cane Sugar Cane Sugar Cane
Paper
3
Paper

Used in crafts

Related blocks

Frequently asked questions

How do you make paper in Minecraft?

Place three sugar cane side by side in a single horizontal row of the crafting grid to produce three paper.

What is paper used for?

Paper crafts books, maps, firework rockets, and banner patterns, and is sold to cartographer and librarian villagers for emeralds.

Is paper renewable?

Yes. Sugar cane regrows endlessly beside water, so paper is fully renewable and easy to mass-produce with automated farms.

Can you sell paper to villagers?

Yes. Novice cartographers and librarians buy paper for emeralds, making it a reliable early-game income source.

Does paper work the same in Java and Bedrock?

The recipe is identical, but Bedrock can craft an empty map from nine paper, while Java needs eight paper plus a compass.

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